Improvement in fire-escapes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAMMOND MARSHALL, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT m FlRE-ESCAP ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,870, dated December 10, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, HAMMOND MARSHALL, of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and I dohereby declare that the followin is afull, clear, and exact description there reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side View of the improved fireescape, and Fig. 2 is a section through the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention has for its object the combination of two griping-jaws with a lever in such manner that a portable compact fire-escape is obtained, by means of which a person can descendfrom any height according-to the length of hisrope with perfect ease and safety, as will be hereinafter explained.

The following description of my invention willenable others skilled in the'art to understand. it.

Inflthe accompanying drawing, A A represent two clamping-jaws, between which is a rope, D. These jaws are grooved transversely on those edges which embrace the rope, and the surfaces of the grooves are corrugated, as shown at t t, Fig. 2. I prefer to makethe corrugations rounded instead of angular, and al- 7 though I have shown them extending from end to end of each groove they need not extend more than one-third or one-half the distance. The grooved and corrugated edges of jaw A has pivoted to it at b a lever, G, which is a hand-lever, and which is bifurcated so as to embrace both jaws, its crotch terminating in an abutment, h, which, when it is drawn down, as shown in the drawing, will press against a cam surface, a, on the back edge of the jaw A and draw together the two jaws, thus causing them to embrace the rope D with more or less force according to the weight of the person descending by the rope D, or the speed with which he may desire to descend. At 0 0 holes are made through the jawsAA for receiving-rin gs g, one of which is show-n applied to the jaw A. v

To either of the rings 9 the person who dc sires to descend by the rope attaches himself. This may be done by a strap around the waist and a strap-hook, or by any other suitable means.

Through the upper end of each jaw a hole, 0, is made, to which a cord, 0, is fastened, by means of which the jaws can be elevated.

If desirable the bearing portion 11. on lever 0 may be made adjustable by means of a setscrew, or the pivot b of this lever may pass through an adjustable nut inserted into the jaw A. This arrangement would admit of the jaws being clamped upon the rope before a person commences the descent, and would render unnecessary the use of the hand on the lever O or the application of force thereto during thedescent. With such adjustable device marks may be made representing the different degrees of compression to be applied to the jaws for different weights and the different speed of descent for a given weight.

My invention is not only useful as a fire-escape, but it is also useful for painters and others working on the sides of structures.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. The swelled or cam-shaped surface n on the jaw A, in combination with the lever G and jaw A, substantially as described.

2. The two clamping-jaws A A connected together by a compression-lever, the arms .13,

and pivot to, and presenting between them a serpentine groove, substantially as described.

HAMMOND MARSHALL.

Witnesses: I

J NO. WILLIAMS, J r., JACOB F. GROVE. 

